GUNS Magazine September 2013 Digital Edition - Page 14

The WinCheSTeR .264 Win Mag FeaTheRWeighT the “Westerner” returns With the advantage oF better bullets and ammo. he current Winchester Featherweight Model 70 in .264 is an excellent marriage of rifle and cartridge. Last fall (November 2012 issue) I talked about my 1962-era M70 Westerner in .264 Mag. My Westerner with 26-inch barrel weighs 8-3/4 pounds, over 10 pounds all up. Winchester ads touted it as a mountain rifle. Maybe they were comparing it to a .470 double. Winchester quickly chambered the pre-’64 Featherweight to .264. The 22-inch barrel gave velocities not much different from .270 figures with similar bullet weights, but with greater recoil and muzzle blast. They sold so poorly today they are valuable collectors’ items. Though its initial burst of popularity is long since over, the .264 is still with us. One factor is the increased interest in long-range shooting. There are some mighty slippery bullets available in 6.5/.264 caliber. I think the .264 will always be a niche cartridge, a handloaders’ cartridge, for riflemen with specific performance requirements. I like it enough I purchased one of the new M70 Featherweights with 24-inch barrel. The current Featherweight in .264 Mag uses a different barrel contour than the Featherweights for standard (.308/.30-06-based rounds with 0.473inch case head diameter) cartridges. The classic Featherweight contour has a very short shank, extending only about 1/4 inch from the front of the receiver ring. For the magnum cartridge with 0.532-inch case head diameter the new Featherweight barrel has a contour like the one used on the Sporter model. There’s a long, gently tapered shank extending past the chamber, then a straight taper to 0.605-inch (measured on my rifle) at the muzzle. Obviously the extra steel adds weight. Winchester specs say the magnum Featherweights weigh 7-1/4 T daVe anderson The classic Winchester 70 Featherweight barrel (top) for standard cartridges has a very short, 1/4-inch shank and a straight taper to a muzzle diameter of 0.550 inch. This one is chambered in 7x57mm with a Burris 6X scope. The current magnum Featherweights (bottom) use the barrel contour of the Sporter models with a longer shank and larger barrel diameter, tapering to 0.605 inch at the muzzle. The .264 Win Mag today is really a reloader’s cartridge. These bullets are 120-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. Using Ramshot Magnum powder velocities of 3,250 to 3,300 fps can be achieved without pressing too hard on the accelerator pedal. Once those long, skinny 0.264-inch (6.5mm) bullets get rolling they don’t slow down very fast! The Winchester 70 Featherweight has long been one of Dave’s favorite rifles. The current magnum versions such as this .264 use a heavier barrel than the standard Featherweights, a good feature for added strength and recoil-reducing weight. Balance point is a bit further forward than Dave considers ideal, though it helps the rifle hold steady for offhand shots. Overall it handles well, proved completely reliable and very accurate. pounds. In fact weighed on a certified commercial scale my new .264 weighs 7-3/4 pounds. Another Featherweight I just purchased, in 7x57 Mauser with the light barrel, weighs 6-3/4 pounds on the same scale. With Burris Z rings and a Leupold 6X scope, weight is 8 pounds, 10 ounces. For a “Featherweight,” those must be awfully heavy feathers from a big bird. The weight is about right for the .300 Win Mag cartridge, which is also available in this model. Still, it is over a pound lighter than my vintage Westerner. With the heavier barrel balance point is about 6 inches ahead of the trigger, a bit more muzzle heavy than my ideal. Current Model 70s I’ve examined are very well made. In terms of fit, finish, and function this rifle is exceptionally well done. The stock wood is particularly nice which is maybe just luck of the draw. Trigger pull out of the box is just about perfect for a hunting rifle with 14 W W W. G U N S M AG A Z I N E . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3